What a first apartment actually costs, line by line

The rent is the easy number. It is printed on the listing and it does not surprise anyone. Everything else about moving into a first apartment does, and it lands in the same three weeks.

We priced a realistic move-in across eleven mid-sized cities. Before a single piece of furniture, the average cost to get the keys and turn on the lights came to 2.7 months of rent.

Before you have a key

A security deposit of one month is standard, and about a third of listings ask for first and last month as well. Application fees run $35 to $75 per adult, and are not refundable if you are not selected — which is why applying to four places at once is more expensive than it looks.

Some landlords accept a deposit alternative: a smaller non-refundable fee instead of a returnable deposit. It reduces the cash you need on day one and costs more overall, because you never get it back. That is a reasonable trade if you do not have the cash and a bad one if you do.

People budget for rent and forget that everything else is due in the same week as the rent.— A financial counselor who works with first-time renters

Turning things on

Utility connection fees and deposits averaged about $310 across electricity, gas, water and internet. Deposits are often waived with a credit check, which is worth asking about before you pay one.

Renters insurance is the line most people skip and the one that costs least: about $16 a month for typical coverage, and often required by the lease anyway. It also covers your belongings outside the apartment, which almost nobody realizes.

• Move-in cost: about 2.7 months of rent on average, before furniture
• Application fees: $35–$75 per adult, non-refundable
• Utilities: about $310 in connection fees and deposits across four services
• Renters insurance: roughly $16 a month, often required by the lease

One practical sequencing tip from every counselor we spoke to: schedule the move for the middle of the month if you can. Rent is prorated, most utility connection appointments are available, and you avoid the last-weekend-of-the-month rush that makes movers cost 30 to 50 percent more.